Thomas' Five Storylines - WPG vs. NYI

SCHEIFS 200-FOOT GAME
The Jets top centreman didn't register a point last night against the Chicago Blackhawks but he will be credited with two defensive plays that saved goals in the 5-1 victory. In the first period, Scheifele lifted the stick of Dominik Kubalik when the Hawk forward had an open net following an Eric Comrie save. Later in the night, Scheifele dove and knocked a puck away from Dylan Strome that again could have ended up in the back of the Jets net. Scheifele along with Blake Wheeler and Adam Lowry could be looked at as the safest of the Jets lines with their ability to create offence and shut down the other team's best lines.

COMRIE BACK-TO-BACK
Connor Hellebuyck will watch from home again this evening meaning Eric Comrie gets his first NHL back-to-back start of his career. Comrie is 3-0 to start the 2021-22 campaign and if you go back to last season when he was with New Jersey, he is 4-0 with 2.20 goals against average and a .918 save percentage in his last four NHL starts. In his first eight NHL starts, went 2-6 with 4.28 goals against average and an .868 save percentage.
10 GAME MARK
Winnipeg is off to a tremendous start through 10 games to begin this season going 6-2-2, recovering from an 0-2 start to registering at least one point in eight consecutive contests. The franchise best start to a season was in 2006-07 when the Atlanta Thrashers went 7-1-2 in the only year the Thrashers went to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kyle Connor's 16 points (8G 8A) is tied with Ilya Kovalchuk for the most points through 10 games to start a season in franchise history.
COPP CAREER BEST
Andrew Copp recorded three assists on the first three goals of the night for Winnipeg on Friday. That was a career best night in that department for the Michigan product who is now second on the team in scoring.
ROAD WARRIORS
Tonight's opponent, the New York Islanders have one of the more challenging schedules this season while they wait for their new arena to open. UBS Arena will host its first NHL game on November 20th when the Islanders welcome the Calgary Flames to town. In the meantime, the Islanders play their first 13 games on the road. They played one game in ten days and now are playing three games in four nights. Tonight's game will be a challenge for the Jets as well, the open ice that they had against Chicago will not be there this evening against one of the best defensive teams in hockey.